Les Fleurs du Jardin
by Dascini
Summary: A series of one-shots for The Gray Garden, mostly focusing on either Yosafire or Yosaflame. Not gonna necessarily be IC for Yosaflame since he doesn't have an official personality yet. AUs will be included. Genres range from tragic to comedic, though don't expect a lot of romance.
1. Past memories

Is this even IC I don't even know... well, whatever. A frend asked me to write Gray Garden fics so I'm gonna post a whole buncha one-shots as I write them. No hate, please. xoxo

- Mira

* * *

"Where is she..." a small blonde angel muttered to herself, gazing around the mostly emptied classroom. All day she had been searching for her usually boisterous friend, a presence which had seemingly vanished from her side. It was a constant she quickly grew to miss. While it was true the demon could be irritating at times, Yosafire was indeed her most closest of friends. Not having the green and pink haired demon around felt wrong. A chink in her usual everyday life.

While it was entirely plausible the girl had come down with some sort of sickness, Froze had already checked at the demon's house (another part of her ritual- wake up, get dressed, eat, go to wake Yosafire up, try not to be late for school), but it was all to no avail. The other had not answered, and upon inspecting the home, the girl could not be found anywhere. It was all very suspicious and did nothing to ease the angel's worry.

Ever since the battle with Ivlis and the demons from another world, Yosafire had seemed a bit more on edge around her at times. One moment she would be laughing and fooling around, and the next she would stop and get a strange look upon her face. At the time, Froze had just chalked it up as being some sort of after effect of the battle with Ivlis (it seemed Yosafire had been the only one to regain consciousness and took the power hungry villain on her own), so she did not bother informing Lord Kcalb or Lady Etihw of the matter.

Lately, though, the demon had been getting worse. It was almost as though she were avoiding the twin-tailed angel, though for what reason Froze could not discern. It seemed to call culminate with today- Yosafire's disappearance was certainly an attempt to avoid her. The girl had not even showed up to school, opting to remain wherever it was she had fled to. It would be a lie to say Froze was not worried.

Standing up from her seat- the blonde had much trouble focusing on the lesson today, she would have to review later -the girl made her way over towards Rawberry's desk. As usual, Macarona stood in front of the pinkette's seat, discussing the bad eating habits her friend displayed. Perhaps one of the others would know where the wayward demon was.

Stopping in front of the two, Froze waited for the two to notice her before speaking up, "...Do either of you know where Yosafire is? I haven't been able to find her all day."

The more polite of the two, Macarona was quick to respond with a greeting, "Oh, hello, Froze," the friendly angel spoke. After listening to the other's question, she thought for a moment, "...No, I haven't seen her at all today. Don't you usually walk to school together?"

"Don't worry, she's probably just going out to gather some tasty bugs from the garden," Rawberry replied, seemingly unworried by her fellow demon's absence.

"When I went to get her this morning, she was gone. I don't know where she is, and she wasn't at school today….And I highly doubt she went to collect bugs, if anything, she would have gone to gather a disgustingly large amount of apples again," the blonde continued, easily waving away Rawberry's suggestion. If she was mentioning food, chances were the demon was hungry, and when Rawberry was hungry she had little else on her mind other than food.

"That's strange, I hope she's alright," Macarona worried, eyes downcast.

"Hmm, she's probably fine. More importantly, I'm hungry! Macarona, let's go collect some tasty worms!" the red-eyed demon shifted the topic, mind focused on her hunger at the moment.

"Rawberry, you really need to stop eating those things…" the angel shook her head, letting out a sigh. It was a fruitless effort and she knew it.

Deciding that the two had gotten too far off topic (a wise decision, once they got onto the topic of food chances were neither could get off of it while together), the blue-eyed girl shifted her attention to their other two friends. Dialo and Chelan were the more reliable pair of their friends, surely they would at least know what she could possibly do.

As she approached the two, Chelan was the first to notice her, giving her fellow blonde angel a warm smile. Nodding in response, Froze spoke up, "I was wondering if either of you knew where Yosafire is? I haven't seen her at all today," she questioned.

Chelan seemed to think for a moment before shaking her head sadly. She had not seen even a hint of the fire demon today, though she did hope Froze was able to find her soon. Dialo, on the other hand, had a verbal response, "...I haven't seen her at all today. If she comes by for apple pie later on, I'll be sure to inform her you are looking for her."

"I see, thank you," the gray-garbed girl replied, looking a bit worried for her friend. At least she had Dialo to inform her if Yosafire appeared at their home, but where was the demon?

Upon seeing Froze's troubled expression, the green-eyed angel seemed to say something in her silent way of speech. As was customary, Dialo worked as her translator, "Good idea," the red-haired girl responded to her friend, then turning to Froze, "Chelan says you should tell Lord Kcalb. He usually knows where the demons are, and if not, Lady Etihw will be willing to help you."

"...I guess I'll go do that. Thanks," the angel nodded to both of them, making her way out of the classroom immediately after. While the idea had come to mind, the girl had not wanted to trouble either of the leaders with such a small matter. Despite that, Froze was worried. A whole day without Yosafire was so fundamentally wrong, and seeing the other four together only made it worse.

Leaving the building at a quick speed, the blonde made her way towards Blancblack castle. Hopefully this was nothing too serious.

Kcalb and Etihw had been having another round of jabs at each other (though it was more of Kcalb trying to counter a smirking Etihw). Wodahs had just been about to separate the two when the doors opened up. The incident involving cake was all but forgotten upon the sight greeting them.

A very uncomfortable Froze stood, staring at the two with their forks poised over the same piece of cake. To someone coming in, it appeared as if the two had been sharing a slice of cake together. Staring at the two blankly for a moment, the girl quickly gave a bow before going to leave, "...I apologize for interrupting. Please, continue."

"No, wait, you've got it all wrong," Kcalb called back, looking distressed over the situation. As per usual, Etihw merely smirked at the trouble. He was so cute when he was troubled.

"So, what do you need, Froze?" Etihw cut in, having waited until the retreating angel had returned once more.

"It might be nothing, but I was told it would be best to inform you two- more specifically, Lord Kcalb," the blonde began, not wishing to waste their time.

"Oh? What is it?" the demon lord questioned, curiosity mixing with a bit of dread. Had something gone wrong? Was there trouble with a demon? Ah, he knew he should have kept a closer eye on Raspbel…

"It's Yosafire. I haven't seen her all day, and I'm worried. She wasn't at school, and she wasn't at home when I went to wake her up this morning. It didn't seem like she had even been home at all last night," the girl explained, frowning slightly. The more she said, the more obvious it became to her that something was wrong. Out of everyone in the Gray Garden, Yosafire was the least likely to suddenly disappear. Why had she not said something earlier?

"...Is that so," Kcalb muttered, lost in his thoughts. It was true, ever since the incident with Ivlis and his invasion that the fire demon had been a bit strange. Anyone could see it, she was a terrible actor. Had something happened? Ivlis hadn't done anything to her other than show her the past, had he? Normally that alone would worry him, but the younger demon had assured him she was unbothered by his past actions.

"..." Etihw stayed silent, smiling despite her own worry. This could only mean trouble, and Yosafire was a nice girl too. If something had happened, she wanted to make sure the girl was alright. Turning to Kcalb, she spoke, "...Well, you better go find her then," the black-haired woman said, keeping any traces of worry from her voice. Since Yosafire was technically one of Kcalb's, she would leave it to him to find her.

"...Alright. We'll settle this later," the white-haired man replied, gesturing towards the cake as he followed Froze out.

"You'd better hurry back, or I'll end up getting impatient and eating the cake without you," the goddess responded, encouraging the man in her own way.

"I don't think so," Wodahs stepped in, smacking the eggbeater in his hand.

"Ah, right, right," Etihw responded nervously, slowly moving away from the baked dessert.

Once the two were outside of the room, Etihw let her smile drop. Staring at the door, she frowned, "Hm…"

"So, when did you say you last saw her?" Kcalb asked, turning to Froze once the duo had made it outside of the castle (maybe they should rethink those stairs, or perhaps he should rethink that cake…).

"Yesterday at school. Usually she would come speak to me about not understanding the lesson, but yesterday she left in a hurry. I haven't seen her since, and she's been avoiding me lately," the blonde explained, thinking back to the day before.

"I see…" the man mumbled to himself, looking at the ground in thought. Raising his head once more, he continued, "I think it would be best if I searched on my own. From what you've said, Yosafire would be more likely to approach me if I were alone rather than with you."

"Understood," she gave a nod, "...but tell me if you find her. I want to know what's been wrong with her lately."

"I will," he gave a nod of his own, "I have a few ideas to where she may be."

"Alright, thank you. I'll be taking my leave now," the angel explained, giving the demon lord a bow before hurrying away. She would have to occupy her mind instead of worrying. Perhaps she could find some good reads in the library.

"...Since it's almost nighttime, I should begin looking," Kcalb mumbled to himself, making a list of all of the places Yosafire frequented.

After a few hours, he had turned up with nothing. By now it was completely dark, the full moon sitting high among the stars. The white-haired man was beginning to get worried. If the demon was not here, where could she have gone? She was not yet powerful enough to jump between universes, so she had to be here. At the same time, the world was so vast, Yosafire could be in any of the winding forests of large and desolate clearings.

Gazing up at the moon, the lord of demons frowned. Where could she be? Truthfully, Yosafire was nothing like any of his demons had ever been before. Dialos was similar to Lost, and Rawberry was even more akin to Cranber, but in terms of personality...Yosafire could not be more different from Yosaflame. It made him wonder about his old underling- why his reincarnation would be so vastly different from himself (though, in that case, Macarona and Froze were also anomalies), it was almost funny how Froze and Yosafire were. It was almost as if Froze were Yosaflame and Yosafire was a bubbly and much more tame version of Sherbet (minus the fighting to the death, of course). ...Though, thinking about the past only served to upset him.

As it always did, images of his underlings deaths, his time underground, and his humiliation penetrated his mind. Shaking his head, Kcalb turned his gaze to the moon once more. Where could Yosafire be-

Wait, the moon? That's right, Yosafire had said she liked to view the full moon from one of the cliffs by the flowers. Was she there, then? It was worth a look. Pushing memories of the past behind him (it was so dark and silent so long why how dare she how dare Etihw he hated her Hated Her what right did she have what right did she to Murder all of Them and Imprison him _nonononononono_-), the horned man made his way towards the field.

It did not take him very long to reach there, Kcalb had been by _that tree _during his thinking, and it was worth it. Standing there, facing the moon, was the elusive Yosafire. He had half-expected her to speak to him, but as he approached, the demon made no move to even glance at him. She stood perfectly still, face illuminated by the white light of the moon, and red eyes glued to its image.

The two stood in silence, Kcalb turning his gaze to the moon as well. It reminded the lord of the other time the two had met here. Though now was a completely different situation. After what seemed like an eternity, the girl turned to him and spoke up.

"Oh, Old man, when did you get here?" she asked, voice a bit off from her usual upbeat tone. It was almost more forced, if anything.

"...Yosafire, are you-" he started, only to be cut off by the girl.

"No, I'm fine. You're wondering why I've been avoiding Froze and everyone, right?" Yosafire questioned, already knowing the answer.

"...Yes. Did something happen?" Kcalb continued, unsure of where this conversation would go.

"...I guess you could say that," the girl replied, looking distraught. After a moment of frowning, she continued, "Lately I've been remembering a lot of stuff. A lot of bad stuff. I wanted some time to think about it, so I ran away. Probably a bad idea, though," she gave a nervous laugh.

"'Remembering'?" he repeated, eyes suddenly widening, "You don't mean-!"

"Yep. About the past- Cranber, Lost, Sherbet, Rigatona, and Ciel," she confirmed, nodding her head.

"...Does that mean that you...do you hate me, for letting you die?" he questioned bitterly, immediately pinpointing that as the reason she had run away.

"No! I told you before, but I don't care about your past. Old man, you're fine the way you are now, and I won't fault you for what happened before," the fire demon shook her head adamantly, crossing her arms. Pausing for a moment, she looked down, "...I'm just scared. In the past, Froze and I, ah- I mean, Sherbet and I, killed each other. I don't want to hurt Froze again, but sometimes I forget where I am and my memories get all mixed up."

"...It won't happen," Kcalb replied, trying to figure out exactly what he should say. Out of the two of them, Yosafire was much better with this sort of thing, "Just like you told me, the past doesn't matter right now. You're Yosafire, not Yosaflame. Sherbet and Yosaflame were always fighting each other, even out of battle, but you and Froze are friends. Even if you were to suddenly become Yosaflame, I doubt you would attack Froze. He would notice the differences between her and Sherbet," he explained, unsure if he were saying any consolation. It was true, though. Yosaflame had been very meticulous, and the only reason Sherbet and Yosaflame had killed each other was because of the war. If they lived in this time of peace, it was likely they would have been a more extreme version of Macarona and Rawberry.

"...I guess you're right. I was just worrying over nothing," the girl calmed down a bit, looking a bit distraught. Darn, she had made Froze and everyone worry for nothing. Flashing him her usual smile, she continued, "That means I can go see Froze again! Our friendship sworn in love can continue! Thanks, Old man!"

Giving her a nod, Kcalb turned his gaze towards the moon one more, "...It's no problem, don't worry about it."

Smiling at him, Yosafire gave a nod of her own before turning her eyes towards the moon as well.

"But, seriously? Yosaflame? His name was _way_ too similar to mine! He stole it from me! So not cool."


	2. Flame for Fire

_Yoo! Chapter 2, let's go!_

_- mira_

* * *

"…I'll see you tomorrow, Yosaf," Froze bid farewell, nodding her head towards her friend as the other girl waved excitedly from the door of her home.

"Bye, Froze!" the demon exclaimed, smiling broadly as her friend walked away. It had been a fun day today! Froze and Yosafire had left for school early in the morning, like every day, and went to class. Ms. Grief had thrown chalk at the girl when she fell asleep again, but all in all, it hadn't been so bad. Heck, she had even managed to get a problem right in math class! An unparalleled accomplishment, if she did say so herself.

From there, they had gone with Macarona, Rawberry, Dialo, and Chelan to pick apples and eat some sweets. It wasn't only apple pie today— apple dumplings, apple strudel, even apple sauce! Hours had passed as they ate and talked, though Rawberry had caused a little while they were out (Macarona would forever be scarred…), it had been fun. Ever since Pervy McShades and his world had invaded, things had been slowly going back to normal.

Besides, tomorrow was Friday! The long-awaited weekend was coming, and the green and pink-haired girl was absolutely ecstatic. School was such a drag, the weekends were a lot more fun. She had more time to play with Froze and bother the Old Man, what could be better?

Entering her home, Yosafire removed her shoes and looked around a bit. It was always nice to return to your own place of rest after a long day. As she did everyday, the demon decided to write in her journal before heading off to bed. They had all been playing for so long, by the time they returned home, it was already dark. She did have to get up early for school tomorrow, so it would be best if she went to sleep soon (wouldn't want to annoy Froze with how slow she got up!).

Walking over to her desk, the young girl took a seat on the chair and picked up her pencil. It was a little known fact, but Yosafire was actually left-handed, and contrary to popular belief, most demons were not. Taking her hat off for the day, the one-horned girl thought for a moment before scribbling into her journal. It was part of her ritual, really. She wasn't quite sure when she had started writing down about her day in the book, it felt as if she always had.

The journal itself was something the girl had found while rummaging around Blancblack castle one day. When she had asked Kcalb about it, he had gotten a strange look on his face and gone quiet. Even now, she wondered why he had suddenly looked so sad. Etihw had stepped in after a few moments, waving the child off with the journal and shooting Wodahs a look.

There had already been writing in the journal when Yosafire first opened it that same day. Apparently someone else had owned the book beforehand, but they never bothered to write their name. The only clues to their identity were the names they mentioned now and then- Sherbet, Lost, Cranber, Rigatona, Ciel -including Kcalb and Etihw! It was a mystery she kept to herself, wanting to figure it out on her own. After Ivlis had shown her what had happened, though, she felt as if she had taken one step closer.

This had been the journal of someone fighting in the war way back then. While that was all she knew about this mystery person at the moment, the girl was determined to find out about them. Why did the Old Man look so sad back then? Who were these other people the writer kept mentioning? The wonder kept her up at night now and again. Despite this, she had a feeling she would find out one day.

Having chronicled her day, Yosafire smiled to herself and went to close the book, pausing for a moment. For a moment, she sat and thought, the mystery of the journal owner on her mind once again. With a smile, she wrote one last line before shutting the book, taking her glasses off and placing them on the side table.

Right! Time for bed. Letting out a small yawn, the girl shuffled over to her place of rest, crawling under the covers and closing her eyes. In a matter of a mere few moments, she was asleep.

Light streamed in through the window, prompting red eyes to slowly open. Blinking at the sudden brightness, the child immediately sat up, rubbing at their eyes. Why was it so bright? Once their eyes had managed to adjust to the light, the demon looked around the room, frowning slightly, "…Where am I?"

He certainly had not fallen asleep here last night. The last thing Yosaflame could remember was staring Sherbet down, the two going head to head in battle. It was strange, he had been so sure that the other's ice had managed to pierce his body, and yet…

There wasn't even a hint of pain. Throwing the covers over, the boy looked around the room once more. It was a nice little cottage, warm and homely. Certainly nothing like his world was. Had he somehow managed to jump to another world? If so, how? And who had taken care of him? It was obvious someone had put him in their bed, as this was not his own. Well, he would have to thank them when he found them.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, the male stopped suddenly. Had everything always been this big? He hadn't grown smaller, had he? He wasn't the tallest demon in the world, though he was far from being the shortest. Most importantly, though, where were his glasses? Yosaflame was practically blind without them.

Stumbling along a bit, the demon felt around for any sort of sign of his glasses. It took him a while, but the demon managed to find them eventually through his sense of touch. Placing the red frames on his face, the boy took another look around the room. Well, it was certainly easier to see now. The home was just as warm as he had thought it to be in his half-blind state, which confirmed his theory he was not in his own world.

"Strange…"

Walking over towards the bed again, the man paused as he passed a mirror. Was that…? Turning his head sharply, Yosaflame's eyes widened as he took in his own appearance. How was this possible? It didn't even make sense. Staring in shock at the face that looked back at him, the former-man spoke, "I…I'm a little girl now?"

It was strange, the face in the mirror did resemble him, but it was most assuredly not his own. Long green and pink hair contrasted his own shorter cut, though the eyes and face shape were the same. The girl had one cone-shaped horn and one stump of a horn, obviously the result of some sort of accident, while he had his own pointed horns. Not to mention the child was short…and had…a cross on her neck? How strange, she was certainly a demon based on her eyes, horns, wings, and tail. Why would a demon wear a cross, the symbol of their enemy?

Perhaps he had stumbled upon some sort of parallel world? That was the most logical conclusion he could come to, and Yosaflame was nothing if not logical. Adjusting the glasses a bit, the demon let out a sigh. Well, he might as well try and investigate what was going on in this strange world, perhaps find a way back to his own. Being turned into a little girl was a bit uncomfortable, despite how much she may appear like him.

Picking up the small red hat discarded on the desk, the man placed it over the chipped horn. There, they made sense, perhaps the child was self-conscious about her injury and hid it with the hat. Besides that, it looked right with her outfit, strange as it may be. Looking over at the desk again, the man's red gaze stopped on the journal. Wasn't that…?

A sudden knocking on the door snapped him from his musings, causing the male to turn his gaze towards the door instead. He could deal with that later, for now, he would find out where exactly he was. Hopefully the one on the other side of the door was not aggressive, and hopefully he could somehow act like this girl did. If they appeared alike, perhaps they acted similar as well?

Walking over to the door, the man in a child's body, pulled it open, staring at the person on his doorstep. An…angel? That looked disgustingly similar to a female version of Sherbet. Fantastic. Were they all young girls in this world?

"Yosaf, come on, it's time to go to school," the strange child explained, gesturing behind her. To be honest, Froze was surprised that her friend had managed to wake up and get ready before she had come. Most of the time, Yosafire took a bit to get dressed when the angel came to collect her. Not to mention Yosafire seemed to be looking at her strangely…?  
Yosaf? So this girl's name was Yosaf? How odd, even their names were similar. Judging by the fact that the angel was not attacking…were they perhaps friends? How was that possible? Did angels and demons not hate each other in this world? Deciding it was better to keep those questions to himself, the man went with it and gave a nod, "Alright. I'll be ready in a moment, let me just get some shoes on," which were conveniently right by the door.

While the other slipped on her boots, Froze furrowed her brow. That was strange, Yosafire didn't usually speak like that. She hadn't even proclaimed how much she loved her yet, instead acting relatively calm. Was something wrong? The blonde decided she would have to question her best friend after school. Something was clearly up.

"Alright, let's go," Yosaflame cut in, standing ready at the door. School? He couldn't remember the last time he had even seen a school before. Well, it shouldn't be too hard. He was fairly smart, and these girls were on the younger side.

"…Alright," the Sherbet look-a-like nodded, turning to walk away from the house. The male was quick to follow after her, silently gazing around the town as they went. Where was this? Everything looked so peaceful and warm, the direct opposite of his own home. Angels and demons ran around, walking and talking with each other. Yosaflame had never imagined that he would see the two enemy species so at peace with each other. Although it felt unnatural, there was something almost nice about it.

As the two sat at their respective desks, Froze frowned a bit. The walk had been even more strange than when she had woken her friend up. Yosafire hadn't uttered a single word to her, glancing around the town as if she were seeing it for the first time. When they had entered into the school, the demon hadn't even known which room or desk was her own, having to need Froze to show her the way. That sealed it, something was obviously wrong with her friend, and she was going to find out what.

Class went on and on, yet, for the first time, the angel could not bring herself to pay attention to the lessons. Her icy gaze slid over to stare at her friend, watching in quiet shock as she attentively took notes. Yosafire…taking notes? That only pushed her suspicions more. Yosafire never took notes, the demon usually slept in class or daydreamed rather than pay strict attention.

To say it was a relief when the final bell rang would be an understatement. Now she could finally talk to her friend and find out what was going on. Putting her things away, Froze turned to speak with Yosafire, only to be pulled off to the side by someone else.

For his part, Yosaflame was too engrossed in his notes to even have noticed the angel approaching him. The walk had been torturous, in a way. Standing next to a girl who appeared so much like Sherbet was a struggle, and he couldn't help but think about that pervert the whole way there. Dammit, he really hated that guy.

The lessons had been interesting, the history class most so. Apparently there had been a major war here many years ago between angels and demons, ending with a pact of peace between the warring groups. It was a strangely familiar story, and for a moment, the male had wondered if perhaps he had managed to jump through time. No, though, that would be ridiculous. Surely other worlds had similar pasts to his own present, it was a bit far-fetched to say he had been thrown into some sort of reincarnation of his.

"Froze, do you know what's wrong with Yosafire? She was actually taking notes today, although it makes me happy, I'm worried," Ms. Grief questioned, having been the one to pull the girl aside. Seeing Yosafire actually paying strict attention was unusual, and while it was a positive thing, it was distinctly unlike the demon.

"Oh, Ms. Grief," the girl gave a nod of acknowledgement, glad it was only her teacher, "…I'm honestly not certain. She's been acting strange since this morning, though."

"Hmm.." the woman frowned, turning to look back at the child engrossed in her notes. Strange. Very strange. Letting out a sigh, she pat the angel on the back, "Maybe you should go ask Kcalb and Etihw about this and Blancblack castle later. There's obviously something wrong, and I know Kcalb is like a father to her." He was like a father to all of the demons, really, though the little girl was a bit special to him. She had managed to save him from Ivlis at the end of it all, after all.

"I'll be sure to," Froze gave a nod, having been pondering doing that as well. If anyone would know what was going on with her friend, it would be either Etihw or Kcalb.

"Is something wrong?" a new voice spoke up, Macarona and Rawberry approaching the angel. The brown-haired girl looked worried, glancing back at their friend, "I've never seen Yosafire so focused during class, is she upset about something?"

"Hmm…it's weird!" Rawberry agreed, nodding her head. More importantly, though, she was hungry!

"I don't know. I'm going to go ask Kcalb and Etihw about it later," the angel frowned, thinking on the situation for a moment. What could possibly be wrong? Things had been going so smoothly since they had chased away Ivlis and the other demons.

"Oh, can we come along? I'm a bit worried myself," Macarona asked, frowning a bit herself. It was a given that Rawberry would come if Macarona went.

"Well, I suppose-"

"What's wrong?" Dialo cut in, stepping over towards her group of friends with her usual deadpan expression. Chelan fluttered around nervously next to her, looking between the frowns adorning her fellow angels. Was something going on?

"Oh, hello, Dialo, Chelan," the blonde gave a nod to each, "We were just discussing asking Kcalb and Etihw what might be wrong with Yosafire. She's been acting strange all day."

"I see. We noticed she was actually paying a good amount of attention in class today rather than sleeping," the red-haired demon explained, her companion nodding in agreement.

"Hey, before we go, can we get something to eat? I'm starving!" Rawberry complained, a hungry look in her eyes. As all of her friends knew by now, a hungry Rawberry was not someone one wanted to mess with.

"Sure. Why don't I make something for everyone before you go over?" Dialo agreed, looking over to Froze for confirmation. She did love baking apple pies, and would take any chance she could get to make some for her friends.

"…Alright, let me go get Yosaf," the blue-eyed girl gave in, knowing better than to argue with Rawberry's stomach. To be honest, she just wanted to find out what was wrong and fix it as soon as possible. She missed having Yosafire jump all over her and act excited all of the time.

"Hehe, we'll meet you there," the pink-haired demon replied, pulling Macarona along. Food was on her mind, and it was the most important thing. Even if they weren't going to eat bugs or bats, apple pie was always nice.

"We'll be there," Froze gave a nod, watching as the quartet went on their way. Turning back to her friend, she frowned at what greeted her. Yosafire was still pouring over her notes, frowning a bit. It was odd, she had never seen such an expression on her friend's face.

Clearing her voice, the angel made her way over towards the other, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Yosafire, Dialo and the others want to meet us for some apple pie at their place."

Yosaflame resisted the urge to smack the hand away, barely containing the action. He had been so caught up in his musings, he had completely forgotten where he was. Having Sherbet's look-a-like suddenly come up and touch his shoulder was a good way to shock him. Darn his reflexes. Reflecting on what the other had said, the man frowned a bit. Hm, so her full name was Yosafire? Strangely similar to his own, though he shouldn't be too surprised by that fact. Still, who was "Dialo"? Another one of the people he knew as a little girl? Closing his notes, the man turned his head and gave a nod, "…Alright, let's go."

It was another oddly silent walk, neither speaking a word as they walked side by side towards Dialo and Chelan's house. Yosaflame because he was still observing things (not to mention he had no idea what this girl whose body he was in acted like), and Froze out of her own observation and thinking. By the time they made it to the home, each was entirely lost in their own worries. The man for where he was and how he would get home, and the angel for her friend and what could be wrong.

"Ah, we're here," Froze seemed to suddenly realize, looking up at the house and pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind. Knocking on the door, the blonde waited for one of the four inside to answer, glancing back at Yosafire behind her.

Yosaflame looked up at the home, noting how similar it looked to all of the other ones here. Oddly enough, there wasn't much variety when it came to architecture in this town. This was…Dialo's home? He wondered which one of his associates this girl would appear like, the name didn't sound similar to anyone he knew (Yosafire's name was eerily similar to his own, so he assumed most of their names were). Speaking of, he still didn't know the other girl's name. He couldn't just out and ask her for it either, not wanting to arouse suspicion (though he already had).

The door opened slowly, a girl who looked startlingly similar to Ciel answering it. She gazed at the pair for a moment, jade eyes raking over Yosaflame's figure before smiling at the two. She did not speak a word, but gestured for the two to enter, opening the door a bit wider. This must be Ciel's "self", there was no other explanation. Nodding his head at her, the flame demon spoke a quick "thank you" and followed after his escort.

A group of girls sat at a table inside, a large pie in front of them. It would be a lie to say it didn't smell nice, and Yosaflame had always been a fan of apple treats. Perhaps he wouldn't mind taking a break from his thinking and eating some—

Following after the blonde girl again, the male took his seat and scanned the other occupants of the table. A girl that looked suspiciously like a more friendly Rigatona, a Cranber with long hair, the Ciel look-a-like, the Sherbet look-a-like, and what must have been a female version of Lost sat around with him. Everyone really was here, minus Lord Kcalb, Ater, Arbus, Wodahs, Grora, and of course, their most hated enemy, Etihw. Strange, were there not versions of them here as well?

"Dialo, can we eat now? They're finally here," the Cranber look-a-like grinned toothily, pointing towards the pie in the center of the table.

"Sure, Rawberry," the girl, who was apparently Dialo, gave a nod. Standing up, the girl grabbed a stack of plates and handed them out to everyone, picking up a pie cutter along with them. In a practiced movements, she cut the pie into even slices, placing a piece of each cake.

Rawberry dug in immediately, devouring her cake in seconds. Yosaflame stared at the girl with muted disgust, wondering how she could eat so messily. Well, at least that confirmed her identity as Cranber's "self". Looking at down at his own piece, the man took a tentative bite.

Ah, it was good. Just like those few times Lost had cooked for them. With each piece of the puzzle, it seemed his suspicions were proving true. These really were other versions of his comrades and enemies. How he had ended up here, though, remained a mystery.

"Ah, Rawberry, don't eat so fast," the mini Rigatona worried, patting the other girl on the back as she inhaled her food. Compared to how Rawberry and Dialo acted in comparison to their other selves, this Rigatona was almost a complete opposite.

"Aw, come on, Macarona! Eat some too!" the pink-haired girl smiled, taking another piece already.

The girl, Macarona, merely sighed and took a bite from her own plate, apparently used to this sort of behavior by now. It was enough to make him pity the girl, despite her angel status.

"Yosafire, do you not like it?" the red-haired demon questioned, turning the man's attention back to her. Did his other self eat differently from him? Perhaps he had been going about this all wrong. This "Macarona" acted completely different from Rigatona, perhaps Yosafire acted different from himself? What was the opposite of his personality?

"No…it's very good, thank you," he gave a nod, trying to give the other a smile. Honestly speaking, Yosaflame didn't smile very much himself. He would tell the girls his identity, but he didn't quite trust them yet. If anything, he would rather go to the higher power here and request aid. For now, it would be best to play the part of "Yosafire". …Though he still had no idea what she acted like.

"…I used the apples we picked yesterday, Chelan helped out this time as well," the girl replied, staring at him with a frown for a moment. Obviously she was suspicious, which meant he was doing something wrong.

What could he do? There were so many possible personality types out there, he had no way of knowing which one to do. Maybe…

"Really? That's great!" the demon exclaimed, smiling broadly (though his mouth twitched a bit at the action). Of course, the first personality he could think of was one similar to Sherbet's. Why was that man always on his mind?

The girl gave a nod, still watching him, though a bit less suspiciously. Well, it seemed that had worked out. Yosafire was apparently similar to Sherbet in terms of personality, which sort of made sense given that the Sherbet look-a-like seemed more similar to his own personality than Sherbet's.

The other girls chattered amongst themselves after this conversation, the air somehow lighter. Eating his own piece, albeit slowly, Yosaflame pondered over his situation once more. Alright, he was in some sort of strange world where the majority of the people he knew were young girls, some with different personalities. He had somehow managed to switch bodies with his own other self, and was currently without any sort of lead on how to return home. This world was one of peace, in which angels and demons lived in harmony together after a great war many years ago.

"Yosaf, are you ready to go?" the still unnamed angel had questioned the other, snapping him from his thoughts.

Looking up, Yosaflame noted how everyone seemed to have finished and was staring at him. With a nod, the man stood up, clearing his throat and getting into character, "I'm all set! Let's go!" Wait, where were they going again?

Froze gave a nod, still staring oddly at the other. Yosafire seemed more like herself now, but there was still something a bit off. Pushing her plate aside, the girl gave a nod of thanks to Dialo and looked back towards his friend, "Rawberry and Macarona want to come as well. We're going to Blancblack Castle to check up on everything," she lied smoothly, not wanting to alert the other that they were worried about her. She was already trying to hide her obvious problem by acting normal, if they told her they were going to ask what was wrong with her, the demon would obviously protest.

Blancblack Castle? What was that? Hiding his confusion, the man gave a nod of understanding, following after the other as she made her way out. Turning back to Dialo and Chelan, he gave a nod of his own, "Thank you, L- Ah, thanks!" he quickly amended, trying to hide his blunder. That could have been bad.

Rawberry and Macarona trotted after the pair, the group making their way to the castle with another silent walk. While the other two would normally break the quiet, something felt a bit…off this time. In an uncanny manner, the four quickly walked towards the castle, Yosaflame stopping before its great mass.

It truly was a wondrous sight, decorated in grays of varying shades. A few angels and demons milled about in front of the castle, hanging out around the flowers and fountains. This was certainly different from his own world, though everything in his world

destroyed…

Noticing that the other girls were waiting for him besides a strange white diamond, the man quickly made his way over. Whatever this was, it apparently was necessary for all of them to be together for it to work. Placing a hand on it's surface, the four were immediately transported to the upstairs of what he could only assume as the inside of the castle.

It was an ingenious idea, he had to admit, perhaps he could utilize this innovation for the war back home. Following after the girls again, he caught up as they stood in front of a large gray door. Whatever lay behind here was most likely the higher power here. If they were friendly, which he assumed based off of their world, they would help him return to his own time. Things had worked out, even without the need for him to find out where to go or reveal his identity. That was a plus for the day.

The Sherbet girl was the one to knock on the door, patiently waiting for a response.

"Come in!" a voice called out, seemingly the voice of a woman. Was this also the female version of someone he had once known?

Giving a nod to the door, though for what reason, Yosaflame would never know, the blonde pushed it open, gesturing for the others to follow. Rawberry and Macarona followed after first, the male bringing up the rear as he looked around, analyzing everything his red gaze came across. It really was a nice building, he had to admit.

"What brings you here?" a disgustingly familiar voice spoke up, causing the flame demon to immediately snap his head to the side. That was…Etihw? Their hair was shorter, and they appeared happier, but it was definitely them. What was the meaning of this?

"Is everything alright?" another voice spoke up, even more familiar than the first. Turning his gaze to the figure next to his hated enemy, Yosaflame's eyes widened at the sight. There, sitting and eating cake with the hated god, was Lord Kcalb.

"Yes…it's just…" Froze frowned, gesturing towards the stricken demon, "…Yosafire has been acting strange. We were wondering if you might know why. She won't talk about it." Not that they had really tried to pry it out of her, but knowing how she was…

"L…Lord Kcalb," Yosaflame immediately snapped out of it, giving the other a bow. His lord appeared different, his hair shorter, clothing different, and expression softer, but he was still his lord. As a loyal servant, it was his duty to always respect his leader.

"…'Lord Kcalb?'" Kcalb repeated, looking a bit confused. Yosafire always called him "Old Man", and he hadn't been called "Lord Kcalb" since the war. Not to mention that the girl was bowing to him, something distinctly un-Yosafire. While he didn't like being called and old man, he prefered it to his old title.

"Ah," the man stopped in his actions, immediately straightening up. That's right, he was in another world right now. This Lord Kcalb might not even be a devil, let alone the one he knew well. Adjusting his glasses Yosflame quickly amended, "I-I mean…" he had no idea how to fix this situation.

Etihw stared at him, eyes boring into the puzzled looking demon girl before them. It wasn't possible, was it? That

had managed to somehow come back, or even switch with Yosafire? While Kcalb looked on confusedly, the god spoke up, "…Yosaflame?" They hadn't known the demon well, but knew enough to know what was likely going on. How, though, remained a mystery.

"…What?" the devil immediately turned his gaze to Etihw, an unreadable expression painting his features. Yosaflame? No, that was Yosafire. What was the other doing, mentioning one of his former underlings that

right now?

"…" the flame demon stared at the other for a moment, shocked that they had managed to recognize him, "…That's right. How did you know?"

"What?" Kcalb turned back around, staring at Yosafire now. No, that was apparently Yosaflame. What was going on?

"You probably don't know this, but Yosafire is very different from you," the god gave the other a smile. They certainly didn't hate the other, so they would make an effort to act kindly. The other had died because of them, after all.

"…I see, I assumed as much," the male sighed, doing his best to keep his voice level. While this Etihw was evidently different from his own, he still didn't quite trust them. Looking back up at them, the demon frowned, "Where exactly am I? I've been trying to gather information, but the most I can figure is that I'm in some sort of parallel world."

"Ah, close, but not quite," the god shook their head, "you're in the future. How you got here, though, I'm not quite sure," they frowned slightly, looking to their companion. Was Kcalb alright? He didn't look too good.

"The future…I take it that means that the 'war' they spoke about in class was our own," which meant Etihw would win. He had always known it to be true, but it still hurt to hear it. That their efforts had been meaningless.

"That's right," Etihw nodded, turning their sad gaze to him. It was certainly a blow to learn that your whole life's work was for naught, they were sure, and that you would most certainly die in the future.

"…I'm sorry," Kcalb finally spoke up, averting his gaze from Yosaflame's. And he was. So, so sorry. Sorry for failing. Sorry for letting him die. Sorry for allowing himself to lose. Sorry for forgetting the past. It hurt to think about the other, about all of his underlings that had died because of his stupid war.

"…Whatever for?" Yosaflame questioned, staring at the other oddly, "Lord Kcalb, if it is because of the war, you have nothing to apologize for. We were the ones who pledged to follow you. It was our decision, not your own."

Etihw gave a smile at that, already beginning to like the other. Even your enemies can become friends in times of peace, it seemed. Heh, Kcalb really did have wonderful underlings in the past. Ah, speaking of, they had to find a way to get Yosaflame back to the past and Yosafire back. Hmm, perhaps…

"Yosaflame," they started, choosing to give Kcalb the moment he needed to collect himself again. Evidently the demon's words had managed to reach the man, "Was there anything you noticied that was once in your possession?"

"Once mine?" the boy repeated, thinking on it for a moment. Well, the glasses seemed to be the same, though he doubted that was it. What else was there…?

"…The journal," the white-haired devil spoke up again, having collected himself. Hearing it straight from one of his underlings had hit him hard, but he was determined to help the other back. Even though it meant sending the man back to his death, Kcalb knew he had to do it.

"Journal?" Etihw repeated, looking confused. What journal?

"Ah, that's right," Yosaflame gave a nod, "My journal seems to be in this girl's possession now. I noticed it on the desk earlier, but I have yet to have a chance to look at it."

"Oh, that's right," Froze cut in, having gotten over the shock of the revelation. It explained everything, at least, and she was determined to get her friend back, "Yosafire records her day in a journal every night."

"If I'm correct, the answer should be in that journal then," the god gave a smile, turning their gaze slightly towards Kcalb. It was nice to see him looking so much lighter, there had always been a chip on the other's shoulder when it came to the war.

"Thank you, Etihw," Yosaflame gave a nod, doing something he never thought he would. Thanking his great enemy. Then again, this was another time and place. Perhaps, in this time, he could say they were not on opposite ends.

"You're welcome. Say hello to Sherbet for me," the other replied, noting how Kcalb seemed to flinch at that. Ah, that's right, Sherbet had been the one to…

"…I'll do my best," the demon replied, not quite sure how he was going to accomplish that. The angel had most likely killed him last time, so he highly doubted they would meet again. Besides that, he was not a fan of the clingy man (why he had a strange obsession with the flame demon was beyond him).

With farewells, the quartet left the castle, Kcalb staring after them with a frown. That was probably his last chance to ever speak with one of his underlings. Watching him walk away for the last time, albeit in Yosafire's body, was painful. There was so much more he wanted to say, but…

….It was already much too late for that.

Bidding farewell to Rawberry and Macarona, the pair made their way back to Yosafire's home, the air much lighter between them now that the truth was out. Still, neither spoke, keeping silent until they made it to the door of the home. Staring at it for a moment, Froze turned to look at the ancestor of her friend in her friend's body.

"…By the way, I never did get your name," Yosaflame said, turning to look at the other as well.

"…Froze, nice to meet you," she gave a nod.

"I'm surprised that

reincarnation acts so different from him…" the man shook his head with a sigh, then gave a nod of his own, "…Thank you."

"You're welcome," the blonde replied, wondering what he meant with his previous statement. Oh well, she could consult the library on the ancestors later. Right now, she was going to get her friend back.

With one final look, the demon turned and made his way inside, leaving the other to stand and wait. Once inside, he glanced around, immediately spotting the book on the desk once more. Reaching forward, the man flipped through the pages, skimming what the girl had written over the days she had owned it.

The paper was familiar on his fingers, and Yosaflame found himself more homesick than before. It was nice and peaceful here, but he would prefer to be back where he belonged. Finally making his way to the last page (the girl really was quite different from him, and her lax life even more so), the demon stared at the last line, then smiled a bit. Ah, so that's what had happened.

Picking up the pencil with his left hand, he was left-handed, the man wrote a quick response, shutting the journal. In a matter of moments, he felt himself being pulled away, consciousness going black again.

"Hey, Flames!" a voice called out, a certain annoying angel smiling at him, "Nice of you to join us, we've been waiting!"

Blinking his eyes open, the demon looked around incredulously at the flowers surrounding himself. He seemed to be in some sort of field, and in front of him stood…

….Sherbet.

Giving the other a sigh, the man allowed a small smile to light his face and reached out for the hand held out towards him, "You're too impatient. I wasn't gone too long."

"Every moment without you is an eternity," the other flirted, winking at the man.

"Stop saying such disgusting things," Yosaflame gave a sigh, punching the other in the gut.

"Agh…so mean…" the angel gasped, holding his middle while keeping his playful grin.

"…Hey, Sherbet," the green and pink-haired man started, looking out to where Ciel and Lost stood, "…what would you say if I told you our reincarnations were best friends."

"Huh?" the blond looked at him curiously, confused by the question, "Well, I would say that's just right," he grinned.

"Just right, huh?" the man shook his head, letting out a quiet laugh, "I suppose you're right."

"Wah, Froze! It was so scary!" Yosafire cried, jumping onto her best friend for the millionth time, "There was an angel there who looked like an older male version of you and he kept trying to hit on me!"

"It's alright," the other gave a sigh, now understanding Yosaflame's words. Was her other self really such a pervert? Still, she smiled, "It's good to have you back…Yosaf."

"Ah! Froze smiled!" the demon cheered, then gave a grin of her own, "I'm glad to be back!"


End file.
